LUMBERTON — The results of the March 15 do-over election for mayor of Pembroke are still not final.

Allen Dial this week officially notified the Robeson County Board of Elections that he is appealing to the State Board of Elections the local board’s dismissal of his protest alleging vote buying and questioning the eligibility of some voters to cast ballots in the election. Dial is asking the state board to order another election.

According to G.L. Pridgen, director of the Robeson County Board of Elections, Dial’s appeal challenges the local board’s decision to dismiss his protest before allowing him to present all of his evidence that several voters living outside of Pembroke were permitted to cast ballots illegally. He also is asking the state board to overrule the local board’s decision to dismiss his allegations of vote buying because of no “substantial evidence “presented at a hearing last month.

“It’s out of our hands and will be up to the state board to decide what action should be taken,” Pridgen said. “The state has a number of options.”

Pridgen said that he is not aware of any time limit during which the state must make a decision on Dial’s appeal.

Official results of the election showed Dial 10 votes behind Greg Cummings, the apparent winner. Dial’s protest included challenges of about 30 voters.

The April 25 hearing was Dial ’s third attempt at protesting the results of the March 15 election, an election that was ordered by the State Board of Elections in January after board members determined at a hearing held in Pembroke that there was enough evidence to vacate the results of the November General Election, which showed Dial as a narrow winner.

Cummings served on the Pembroke Town Council from 1991 to 2011 and is currently Robeson County’s economic developer. Dial, who served 16 years on the Pembroke Town Council, is a businessman.

Pembroke has been without a mayor since the death of Milton Hunt a year ago. Channing Jones, mayor pro tem, has been carrying out the mayor’s duties during meetings of the Pembroke council.

By Bob Shiles

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Bob Shiles can be reached at 910-416-5165.